Fujitsu Semiconductor develops world’s first 360° wraparound view system with approaching object detection

SINGAPORE: Fujitsu Semiconductor Asia Pte Ltd announced the development of MB86R24, the company’s third-generation high-performance graphic SoCs for automotive applications. The new product will be made available in sample quantities starting in August 2013, along with the related software.

Featuring improved CPU and GPU performance for faster processing and sharper image rendering, MB86R24 comes equipped with 6 full HD input channels and 3 display output channels, allowing for greater flexibility in input/output control. By employing the new chip, Fujitsu has, for the first time in the world, been able to incorporate the Approaching Object Detection functionality—which notifies drivers of nearby people, bicycles and other objects—into the 360° Wraparound View System that allows drivers to check their entire surroundings in 3D from any angle.

In addition, the product will also enable the development of integrated Human Machine Interface (HMI) systems that consolidate and provide centralized control over a variety of onboard vehicle information. Until now, the display of such information on multiple screens has been controlled independently for each screen.

MB86R24 is expected to significantly help in improving safety, comfort and peace of mind for automobiles, as well as for home and industrial applications that are becoming increasingly important.

In recent years, there has been growing concern regarding automobile safety, as can be seen by the establishment of the Kids and Transportation Safety Act in the United States. At the same time, demand for automotive systems is increasing on a daily basis.

In light of these trends, Fujitsu Semiconductor developed MB86R24, a graphics SoC that makes it possible to create a 360° Wraparound View System that notifies drivers about objects approaching the vehicle, as well as integrated HMI systems that connects people with data from inside and outside the vehicle.

360° wraparound view system with approaching object detection
The 360° Wraparound View System uses cameras facing forward, backward, left, and right to synthesize a 3D model of the environment and then display the surroundings from any perspective.

Last year, Fujitsu Semiconductor developed a 360° wraparound view system that employed a second-generation MB86R10 series graphics SoC and also worked with megapixel cameras. As systems such as this, which give clear visual confirmation of a vehicle’s surroundings, grow in popularity, there will be increasing expectations for additional functionality that reduces the likelihood of driver oversights while promoting safer, more confident driving.

MB86R24 boasts roughly double the CPU performance and 5 times the GPU performance of its second-generation predecessor, delivering sharper images and the ability to view surroundings from any perspective. The chip also features Approaching Object Detection, which notifies the driver of nearby objects approaching the vehicle. The proximity detection algorithm was developed jointly with Fujitsu Laboratories, and is the world premiere to be implemented as part of a 360° wraparound view system.

This SoC can also take input from six cameras simultaneously, thereby enabling greater flexibility in rendering 3D imagery and making the technology applicable in a wider range of scenarios.